Kurn Hattin Homes for Children Adopts Team Leadership Model
Thomas Fahner and Connie Sanderson Take on New Roles as Co-Executive Directors

WESTMINSTER, Vt., Feb. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Thomas Fahner and Connie Sanderson are the new Co-Executive Directors of Kurn Hattin Homes for Children, a charitable home and school for children whose families are experiencing a time of need. The two will split the organization's top administrative duties with Fahner as head of Residential and Academic Life, and Sanderson overseeing Business Operations and Institutional Advancement.

Kurn Hattin Homes Board President, Charles Kelsey, announced the new organizational structure to staff, saying the move will strengthen the non-profit's services and position the organization for the future. "It aligns our resources to focus fully on each service entity," Kelsey said, "and ensures that the core business of Kurn Hattin is protected and thrives in the coming years."

Sanderson came to the organization as a Development Officer in 1988 and held the position of Director of Development from 1990 until the present. She is serving in her third year as President of Westminster Cares and holds the Certified Fund Raising Executive credential awarded by the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Fahner joined the Kurn Hattin community as school principal in 1989 and became Director of Residential and Educational Services in 1993. He is the former president and a current member of the National Fellowship of Childcare Executives, as well as of the Bellows Falls Rotary Club.

The team leadership model is a relatively new trend for non-profits. Mary Gyori, President of Catamount Career Development, Inc. in Brattleboro, VT, described the benefits, "When you have team leaders at the top, it creates a dynamic working relationship between people committed to the same end result. In the case of Kurn Hattin, this means making a positive difference in children's lives. This model opens the way for teamwork, trust, and innovation, and empowers and motivates the whole staff to get behind the mission, much more so than traditional top-down leadership."

Fahner and Sanderson state "Having worked together for over 20 years, we're excited about the opportunities to maximize our strengths for the benefit of the children and families served by Kurn Hattin. Our shared vision looks ahead to diversify services for children in need, in keeping with our history of responsiveness to childcare trends in society. We have continued to expand our services to be able to meet the growing need and to help children facing challenges of abuse and neglect. We take seriously our role in stewarding donor contributions, and assure our benefactors that their help is the mainstay of our ability to succeed."

A place of hope since 1894, Kurn Hattin Homes for Children provides a safe home and quality education for boys and girls, ages 6-15, whose families are experiencing a time of personal or financial need. Kurn Hattin Homes is entirely funded by charitable contributions. Its mission: Kurn Hattin Homes transforms the lives of children and their families forever. www.kurnhattin.org